Igniter port valve mechanism for combustion chambers



y '8, 1952 R. H. GODDARD 2,602,293

IGNITER PORT VALVE MECHANISM FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Filed Feb. 7, 1948 INVENTOR.

ATTORN EY Patented July 3, 1952 UNITED STATES mes-r oFFlCE- IGNITER PORT VALVE MECHANISM FOR COMBUSTION CHAMBERS Robert H. Goddard, deceased, late of Annapolis,

MIL, byEsther C. Goddard, executrix, Worcester, Mass, assignor of onerhalf' to The Daniel and; Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 7, 1948, Serial No. 7,019

separation of the igniter from the chamber prevents flash-back, overheating of the igniter, and the accumulation of combustion residue or deposits in the igniter when not in operation.

It is the general object of the present inventionto provide a port in the combustion chamher to admit an igniter flame, and to further provide improved valve mechanism for normally closing the port and for opening the port only for igniter operation.

The .invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Preferred forms of the invention are shown in the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a sectional elevation of a portion of a combustion chamber, with one form of this invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section,

of the valve member shown in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified construction and certain control devices.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a front end portion of a rotating combustion chamber C is shown, together with an axially positioned igniter G which is assumed to be of the hot-flame type, one example of which is more fully disclosed in the prior Goddard patent above cited.

The chamber C is provided with an axial port l0, normally closed by a valve member l2. The member l2 has a tubular outward extension I4 and is normally forced upward to closed posi- Y 2 in its tubular extension Hi and adjacent the enlarged lower end of the member [2, and also has an internal flange 25 whichsupports an antifriction bearing plate El positioned for engagement by thelower end of the igniter G.

When the igniter is to be put in operation, the igniter is forced inward (or downward in Fig.

.1 engaging the plate 21 andforcing the valve member [2; inward to the dotted line position shown in Fig l. In this position, the ports 25 in the valve. portion it are freely-open tothe combustion chamber C, so that the ignition flame will enter the .chamer in a series of dispersed jets which are exceptionally effective for apid iiq 0 he. s b s on mixture in the, cham g As soon as pressure is relieved on the igniter G, the igniter will be raised by. a spring 28, and the. valve. i2. will return to closed position. The igniter may be-advanced and released manually, orautomatic control mechanism of the general type-shown in Fig. 3 may be provided.

With this construction,it will be seen that the igniter has no communication with the chamber C except when depressed to operative position, which construction is found very desirable, as previously explained.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3, an igniter G is mounted in fixed position in alignment with a port 40 in a stationary combustion chamber C. This port is normally closed by an inwardly opening valve 42 mounted on an arm 43 which is pivoted at 44 to a bracket 45 projecting outward from the chamber C.

When the igniter G is to become operative, the valve 42 is moved to the dotted. line position shown in Fig. 3 by a solenoid S operating through a plunger and link 5!. When the solenoid S is inoperative, the valve 42 is raised and closed by a spring 53.

A simple form of control mechanism is also shown in Fig. 3, by which the operation of the valve 42 and the igniter G may be coordinated, and by which the operation of the igniter may be discontinued as soon as a sufiiciently hot flame has been projected through the port 40.

The operation is started by manually depressing a handle on a lever 6| pivoted at 62 and having a contact point 63 which engages a sec- 0nd and fixed contact member 64 when thus depressed. A ledge 65 on the lever BI is then engaged by a latch 65 which is pivoted at 6'! and which is moved to latching position by a spring 68.

Engagement of the contact members 63 and 64 closes circuits from a battery B (or other suitable source of current) through the solenoid S previously described, and also through a sparkplug' 10, and through a solenoid H which depresses a plunger 12 and thus opens a fuel mixture valve 13 for the igniter G. The port valve 42 is thus opened inward, while at the same time the fuel mixture is admitted through the valve 13 and is ignited by the sparkplug 10.

A control device 15 containing a thermo-couple is mounted on the chamber C" and projects slightly into the path of the hot flame from the igniter G. When the thermo-couple is thus heated, the couple is closed, thus completing a circuit from a battery B through a solenoid 80, which solenoid acts through a plunger 8! to withdraw the latch 66 from the flange 65.

The lever BI is then drawn upward by a spring 82, raising the contact point 63 and breaking the circuits through the solenoids S, the sparkplug 10, and the solenoid H. The valve 13 will then be closed by the spring 83 and the valve 42 will be closed by the spring 53, while at the same time the sparkplug H1 becomes inoperative. All parts will remain in the closed or inoperative positions indicated until further operation of the igniter G is desired.

Having thus described the invention and the advantages thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what is claimed is:

' 1. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having an igniter port, a valve to close said port, a flame-type igniter aligned with said port, electro-magnetic means to move said valve inward to open said port, yielding means to close said port, a fuel-supply valve for said igniter, electro-magnetic means to open and close said fuel-supply valve, a single electric power circuit in which said two electromagnetic means are mounted in parallel, and means to close said cir- 4 cuit, whereby said port-opening means and said fuel valve-opening means are simultaneously activ'ated.

2. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having an igniter port, a valve to close said port, a flame-type igniter aligned with said port, yielding means to close said port, means to render said igniter operative when said valve is moved inward, and means to release said valve when a flame of predetermined temperature has been injected through the igniter port.

3. In combustion apparatus, a combustion chamber having an igniter port, a valve to close said port, a flame-type igniter aligned with said port, a solenoid to move said valve inward to open said port, a latch to hold said valve open, and temperature-controlled means to withdraw said latch and release said valve when a sufiiciently hot flame has been injected through said port.

4. The combination in combustion apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which a supply valve and sparkplug for said igniter are mounted in parallel to said solenoid and are jointly held closed by said latch.

ESTHER C. GODDARD, Executrix of the Last Will (and Testament of Robert H. Goddard, Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,586,472 Rochford May 25, 1926 2,469,678 Wyman May 10, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 843,527 France July 5, 1939 

